Daily News

Burning Incense Before Idols (13806)

It is not 250, but 2012; not Rome or Carthage, but America. Once again, some are prepared to be martyrs, others prepared to easy surrender to avoid discomfort, and still others to be apostate under duress, confident of God’s later forgiveness.

For some, the idol is sex. Having resisted the teaching of Christ and his Church for a generation, it’s an easy compromise: “After all, almost no Catholic believes today that contraception is wrong, and so many have used it, or are using it, with no qualms of conscience.” Catholics are not following the Church, so the Church, and those Catholics who do believe, can be ignored.

For others, the idol is money, especially government money.

We can do so much good with it. It feeds the poor, comforts the sick, clothes the naked.

Surely, it is not wrong to continue doing so, even if it means accepting this compromise, this new secular wisdom. Would not Jesus approve of aiding the poor with government coin?

For others, the idol is party and power, an addictive concoction that numbs the moral sensibilities: “We have the solutions of the future, beyond narrow doctrines. Continue to believe and worship, if you must, but do so in your houses of worship and stay out of public affairs.”

In many ways, these are not extraordinary times. The world, the flesh and the devil are always with us. These universal tempters encourage us to put human respect before respect for God — fitting in before standing up for what is right; love of pleasure and the easy way before suffering for the truth; or to think that we can determine what is good and evil by a calculation of interests, outcomes or utility, and even force that judgment on others for their own good.

What characterizes our day, however, is the pervasiveness of all three — and that the tempters are no longer just our family, friends and neighbors, or even just the culture, the media and other elites.

Today, it is the state where the three coincide and which is asking us to burn incense to the idol.

Supporters of the government’s contraception-abortion mandate — in politics, the media and even among Catholics — would have us believe the issue is contraception and women’s health care, though how preventing human life, even destroying it, is “health care” eludes common sense.

The recalcitrant Church, opposing modernity, needs to be dragged into the 21st century, needs to see the error of its teaching.

Government can help Catholics accomplish this. The constant, and false, mantra of “98%” has no other purpose except to drive that necessity home to Americans, and especially to Catholics.

It is these mandate supporters, however, who need to be dragged into the 18th century and who need to consider the reasons our nation’s constitutional order was established: to protect, first of all, individual freedom of conscience and its corollary, freedom of speech, from the coercive power of government.

In that century, it was government at the service of the “established” religion, the religion of the monarch. Today, it is government at the service of social engineering or party politics or protecting sexual license.

The U.S. bishops in opposing the mandate — as well as EWTN, Belmont Abbey College and Colorado Christian University, in suing over it — do so not to protect sectarian belief, but a principle that underlies the freedom of all Americans, which includes our freedom to believe.

We are not asking government to enforce our doctrine, even with our co-religionists. Churches are associations of individuals who are free to believe or not believe, to follow Church teaching or not.

The Church can excommunicate members, or they can self-excommunicate by their actions or simply stop practicing. The force exerted is moral, not physical.

The government, on the other hand, is using civil authority and penalties to force American citizens to act contrary to their consciences, either by formally providing “health care” they believe is gravely evil or by immediate material cooperation in providing it (such as referrals).

Since the mandate applies to all citizens who employ others, and who are obliged under the Affordable Care Act to provide health insurance, it is not just the “church exemption” that is the issue.

The mandate itself is a violation of the freedom of all Americans, even those who in this moment may agree with its social intent.

No majority opinion of Catholics — or of Americans — can ever justify establishing as a principle of government the authority to force citizens to do something contrary to their consciences.

The world, the flesh and the devil: In all times and places all three tempters are at work. The Scriptures are a record of that history-long battle.

But it is also the record of their complete defeat, first in the desert of Judea, by Christ not entertaining them but rebuking them, and then on the cross, by defeating their pride through humility, their power through weakness.

That remains the challenge of our day, as it is of all days until the end of time.

98%: The Number Lies

The 98% figure being widely reported derives from a Guttmacher Institute analysis of the Centers for Disease Control’s “2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth.”

Comments

Another aspect of the 98% figure, is that young women in our culture are inundated with contraceptives. They are proscribed for menstrual cramps, acne and, otherwise, widely available on campuses etc. Furthermore, scientific facts about the carcinogenic/HIV/other risks of oral contraceptives are underplayed by “family planning” orgs (working with tax dollars). So for secular liberals to crow about the widespread use of oral contraceptives is like turning a fire-hose on a crowd in a stadium and saying, “Look, they’re all wet!”

Soft fascism requires a bed of lies and a napping populace ..

Posted by Mary Obert on Tuesday, Feb 21, 2012 1:25 PM (EDT):

I beg the Bishops to be more aggressive in the fight against the HHS mandate. We need to stress the ‘Violation of Freedom of Conscience’ from the pulpit and the media.

Posted by George Kocan on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 4:44 PM (EDT):

As I understand ‘mantra’, it is a word repeated as part of a trance to open a door to demonic posession. That is why it is most apt in connection with Democrat apologetics. The mandate to compell Catholics to fund contraception is fatally flawed because contraception does not fix anything unlike a real medical procedure. Fertility and pregancy mean that the body is functioning the way it was designed. Contracepive devices and pill thwart the healthy functioning of the body. The contraceptive pill should be considered a ‘recreational drug’ which Obamacare compells Catholics to endorse and subsidize.

Posted by Mike Thompson on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 4:24 PM (EDT):

Great article. My take away paragraph is “It is these mandate supporters, however, who need to be dragged into the 18th century and who need to consider the reasons our nation’s constitutional order was established: to protect, first of all, individual freedom of conscience and its corollary, freedom of speech, from the coercive power of government.”

I wish our leaders would understand and accept this.

Posted by Penny on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 3:00 PM (EDT):

Amen, Amen, AMEN!!! I am going to share this everywhere I can! So well worded and so many points beautifully articulated into on piece. Truly guided by God in its composition. Thank you!
For those who do not agree, especially when naming Sister Carol Keehan…it’s my opinion that she is NOT a Catholic in good standing and I pray that she is deal with swiftly by our Church. Catholicism is NOT a buffet religion where we can pick & choose the teaching we like or do not like. Obedience is needed here even when one doesn’t fully understand the teachings. Sr Carol is no exception.
I was recently asked if I had ever used contraception & I honestly answered yes (in my uninformed younger years) but also added that confession & forgiveness of sins was used as well. 98% “have at some point” used contraception” but as in my case…doesn’t reflect those of us NOT “still using it” either. I will be one of those deflating these false numbers and ideas. Will you?

Posted by Dantes on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 12:54 PM (EDT):

Hard to take your argument seriously when Sister Carol Keehan of the Catholic Health Care Association is putting money first and not only capitulating, but enthusiastically supporting, Obama’s mandate.

Obamacare=Police State medicine.

Posted by Therese on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 11:55 AM (EDT):

Great title, perfect picture.
THanks for the statistical breakdown.
Obama is the biggest mistake this country has ever made. Hopefully, we’re not so arrogant we can’t do our best to correct this mistake and get rid of him.

Posted by Joseph Mackovjak on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 10:41 AM (EDT):

Excerpt from the little book entitled: “The Devil”

Dear reader, what are you actually doing on earth? You are journeying towards the house of your eternity, the door of which, at some turn of the way,death will throw open.
.....yet how does it happen that we so often commit evil, .....Something or some one invites, solicits, entices us….Is it certain that the devil exists?....Yes, certainly, there is an Evil Spirit, and even a multitude of evil spirits…....

By Father Delaporte of the Society of Mercy

Posted by Michelle on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 10:19 AM (EDT):

So proud od my church for professing God’s teachings in spite of all the spiritual attacks from enemies, and standing up to this Goliath government and all of lies/defamation/propaganda it’s use of our money can buy. Times like these are when you see what people are made of. Thank you.

Posted by Pepoye Medina on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 9:54 AM (EDT):

The fidelity of the early martyrs to Jesus is by shedding their blood, today our fidelity to Jesus is best expressed in defending the teaching of the Church…one teaching is No to contraceptives. Every Christian must always protect and uphold life. Our choice to life is not a matter of numbers but faithfulness to Jesus who on the Day of the Lord, each of us will give an accounting.

Posted by Sam on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 3:30 AM (EDT):

Dear Colin,

I enjoy listening to you on EWTN Radio. Can you help me counter an argument we are starting to see with respect to the HHS Mandate controversy? Some on the left have picked up on an argument that the American Bishops are making a phony argument about protecting the religious freedom of the Church in this way: They argue that the HHS mandate is no different from earlier requirements in about 20 states that mandate similar contraception coverage for Catholic institutions. Those requirements have been accepted for many years with nary a peep from the Bishops.

How can we answer this argument?

Posted by Monica on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 2:16 AM (EDT):

@Aj: FYI, The “New Age” movement did not invent the word “mantra.” It comes from the Vedic religion which is a predecessor to Hinduism. The modern English sense of the word is a secondary definition it acquired when it became popularly used as something equivalent to a motto that is often repeated. It doesn’t mean precisely the same thing as just having a motto.

Posted by LJ on Sunday, Feb 19, 2012 11:14 PM (EDT):

“In many ways, these are not extraordinary times.”

Absolutely. Most empires, regimes, nations, etc. have got around to persecuting Christians, either right out of the gate or somewhere along the way when it was deemed expedient for the “greater good.”

What would be extraordinary is if the American experiment actually worked, if the dream of the framers of the constitution was actually realized. This is the moment that the entire world will find out whether that constitution will be strong enough to thwart the persecuters, or whether America will follow the way of every other great society and eventually crumble from within following those totalitarian impulses that Father Barron speaks about.

Posted by Rosina San Paolo on Sunday, Feb 19, 2012 9:18 PM (EDT):

Excellent article! It expresses exactly what has happened to our nation.
I saw all this chaos begin after World War II ended by the use of the atomic bomb!

Posted by Vincent on Sunday, Feb 19, 2012 7:04 PM (EDT):

Great article. I thought I had a handle on that 98% figure being inaccurate, but didn’t realize it turns reality completely on its end!

Posted by JMJ on Sunday, Feb 19, 2012 5:47 PM (EDT):

I think that I just had another thought: Obama is already burning incense before his idol: it is our Constitution along with all the true Americans that are in his way to becoming the one world leader and offering it and us down to his father: the chief liar, satan. +JMJ+

Posted by JMJ on Sunday, Feb 19, 2012 5:34 PM (EDT):

Aj: seeing how we are past the “new age” and are now under the Obama-age, we should use obama, instead of mantra or motto (unless you are talking about Mr. Motto, didn’t think so) and instead of facing East or up, we should be facing down as we bend to his every command. Very good article, Colin, thank you and as a Roman Catholic American, I just can’t understand why so many Pro-life people fall for the lies and half-truths that come from the arm (have to be nice here) of “pp” as they constantly give false figures about everything. +JMJ+

Posted by K C Thomas on Sunday, Feb 19, 2012 1:24 PM (EDT):

Much of the statistics may not be reliable as some are prepared with a hidden agenda. Even if 51 percent of a group of people justify thefts or rape, we do not want to accept that theft and rape should be exempted from the list of illegalities and immoralities. The same way, if more catholics disobey the teachings of their Church, we cannot change the commandments. The Govt. and certain organisations want to discontinue the traditional morality concerning sex and so these are all slow movements towards that end, the free for all society.

Posted by Floyd Alsbach on Sunday, Feb 19, 2012 12:27 PM (EDT):

AJ, he is using ‘mantra’ as a left handed insult, which is a good thing.

Thank you for this wonderful article. It hit the nail in the head! Catholics, don’t fake your religion. Live it through a sincere commitment and don’t fake it because your soul is on the line.

Posted by Sondra on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 11:14 PM (EDT):

I have been trying to figure out where the “98% of Catholics” statistic came from, knowing it’s impossible to set that figure accurately. Thank you so much for exposing the source and the ‘finegeling’ they did to come up with it. I shared it with my email list and posted the article on my facebook page. You should go on the Sunday talk shows and get this out to the public!!!

Posted by Linda Ill on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 10:32 PM (EDT):

Aj: I think that Mr. Donovan was using the word “mantra” in a very negative connotation, which implies that the word “mantra” itself is a negative word.

I might be wrong about my interpretation, but I don’t think Mr. Donovan is approving in any way whatsoever of the New Age Movement.

The word “mantra” has pretty much been inculcated into modern language and I doubt that that many people even know the origin of it. I have never once associated the word with the New Age when used as Mr. Donovan has used it. Only when someone’s talking about New Age stuff and they use the word “mantra” do I associate it with the New Age!

In other words, NO PROBLEM!

Posted by David on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 6:05 PM (EDT):

“The survey extrapolates to the general population that 62% of Americans are currently using “contraception” (including NFP).”

Thank you for this information. I have been striking up conversations at work with a number of people and there are many more of us who use NFP (STM). This statistic 99% is a lie.

Posted by Wsquared on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 5:14 PM (EDT):

Aj, the use of “mantra” is probably quite apt: reading it again, it suggests the elevation to the spiritual plane of quantification, however false, whereby “98% of Catholics use contraception” is taken as Holy Writ.

Posted by Paul Scales on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 4:49 PM (EDT):

Obama is out to split the Catholic Church in America. By deliberately pursuing a course that intends to divide the Catholic faithful in America into those who respect Magisterial pronouncements from those who do not, our President is banking on the successful implementation of his Government-funded pro-choice social vision by eliminating his most formidable opponent: a united Catholic Church. And sadly, people who count themselves “Catholic” are going to enable him to do this. The American Apostasy has begun.

Lord, guide your Church through these treacherous shoals.

Posted by Craig Roberts on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 2:50 PM (EDT):

Great article. Temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil are as subtle and deadly as they have ever been. Perhaps the Church will benefit by divesting itself from worldly billion dollar health care corporations and heretical universities. Then it can focus on saving souls.

“A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27

I have come to believe that the HHS Mandate is an early step of many more to come and the end goal of the Obama administration and the atheist Left who form his base, is the complete eradication of authentic Catholic public witness of any kind - whether in the operatio of universities, of schools, of hospitals, and ultimately, even parishes and shrines. Christianity in general, and Catholicism in particular are to be eliminated if possible, or at least driven completely underground, where they won’t represent any challenge to the operations of the secular state and secular society.

This is how it was done in France during the Revolution. The Revolutionary government confiscated all church buildings, and the French government continues to hold and maintain them to this day. Late 18th century French priests were required to swear an oath of allegiance to the *Revolutionary Government*, over and above the Pope, or else be imprisoned, or deported and exiled.

Similarly, in Revolutionary Communist China, the Catholic Church in union with the Universal Church and the Holy Father the Pope was for many years repressed by the government; churches were shut down, and faithful Catholics arrested and imprisoned. In fact, the Communist Chinese set up a “Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association”, with its own bishops and priests, in competition with the true Church.

I believe the Atheist Left, with Obama at the helm, wants to do all it can to literally eliminate the practice of the Catholic faith from public life, from politics, from the marketplace of idea, from education, from health care, from everything. The goal is a purely secular society, without competition or influence from religion of any kind.

Posted by Patrick on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 1:43 PM (EDT):

Offering a service, that can protect the health of a woman, is not in and of itself evil. Offering a service is not coercive and does not undermine one’s faith. Mandating that a healthcare provider offer a service is not the same as restricting the rights of those who decline such services. We are all free to believe, have faith, and act on those beliefs so long as those beliefs do not harm others. If Muslims declared that our healthcare programs were hindering their “Faith” because we offered Muslim women the service of breast removal to prevent the spread of breast cancer, we would all see that the government was not “undermining” the Muslim faith, but using our best approach to the welfare of the patient as their standard. The church is entering politics, The church should reflect on their role and support their followers, and stop playing in the political arena. Life indeed is precious, and the lives of women are just as precious as the lives of the church members who pretend to speak on their behalf. Let women decide how best to be served by their healthcare provider, not the church.

Posted by Aj on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 11:53 AM (EDT):

Why is everyone using the New Age Occult wording “Mantra” instead of motto anymore? Colin even used it in his article.

I loved the article but then got confused and hit the breaks a bit when I saw the bad New Age word: “Mantra”.

Posted by Mary on Saturday, Feb 18, 2012 11:07 AM (EDT):

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Mr. Donovan & NCR for speaking the Truth in Love and in it’s real fulness. I know Mother Angelica, must be smiling right now.

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